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BG to stop switching smart meters to PAYG

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victor2
victor2 Posts: 8,139 Ambassador
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
edited 19 January 2023 at 6:42PM in Energy
Going by a few posts on here, this should put some people's minds at ease...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64331449

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  • MattMattMattUK
    MattMattMattUK Posts: 11,241 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    victor2 said:
    Going by a few posts on here, this should put some people's minds at ease...
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64331449
    The wider context makes it interesting, what will now happen to those bad debts, will all of our bills be pushed up further because of the increase in bad debt?
  • victor2
    victor2 Posts: 8,139 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    victor2 said:
    Going by a few posts on here, this should put some people's minds at ease...
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64331449
    The wider context makes it interesting, what will now happen to those bad debts, will all of our bills be pushed up further because of the increase in bad debt?
    Presumably, they will go through the same process as they do with non-smart meters. If it reaches the point where a prepayment meter is deemed necessary, an engineer will turn up and push a few buttons while the smart meter is remotely switched.
    So the bad debt shouldn't increase because of this, just the overall cost of living!

    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the In My Home MoneySaving, Energy and Techie Stuff boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. 

    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.

  • Spoonie_Turtle
    Spoonie_Turtle Posts: 10,345 Forumite
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    Bad reporting.

    ""They charged me nearly £200 a month just for a shower and a light near my cooker," Audrey told the BBC.

    She added that she had built up arrears while she was recovering in hospital from the fall."

    So no, the £200 was NOT for a shower and a light, it was debt as well.  Still not a good situation but really bad to not make the facts clear to people who won't connect those two sentences.

  • EssexHebridean
    EssexHebridean Posts: 24,424 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I commented on the “Audrey” claim a few days ago as it was so clearly false. Either that or the highest wattage lightbulb and the longest showers in the world! It seems to be deliberately worded to distract from the fact that there is debt as well. 

    victor2 said:
    victor2 said:
    Going by a few posts on here, this should put some people's minds at ease...
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64331449
    The wider context makes it interesting, what will now happen to those bad debts, will all of our bills be pushed up further because of the increase in bad debt?
    Presumably, they will go through the same process as they do with non-smart meters. If it reaches the point where a prepayment meter is deemed necessary, an engineer will turn up and push a few buttons while the smart meter is remotely switched.
    So the bad debt shouldn't increase because of this, just the overall cost of living!
    Increasing the cost to the person in debt too then, I believe? 
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  • MattMattMattUK
    MattMattMattUK Posts: 11,241 Forumite
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    The reporting does seem to be getting more and more dishonest, the way it is claimed huge bills exist with almost no usage whilst ignoring a debt of thousands, or the continual claim that PAYG is the most expensive way to buy energy when in many cases it is actually the cheapest. 

    It is unfortunately the dishonest reporting that could also cause the most damage, those who end up scared to turn their heating on as they fear it will be too expensive as they read these kind of stories in the news.
  • I agree - we can clearly see the effect it has simply from the number of people we see even on here who choose to believe the headlines and spurious articles in spite of being presented with the correct facts. It’s worrying that so many folk out there still clearly feel that they can trust the media implicitly really. (Perhaps that in itself also explains the rise in people falling victim to various scams?) Then of course those people themselves then perpetuate the myths still further… It’s frustrating, but I guess all that can be done is to keep repeating the truth and hope that it will filter through eventually, while also reporting the really blatant and deliberate misinformation when it appears. 
    🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
    Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
    Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
    £100k barrier broken 1/4/25
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  • The reporting does seem to be getting more and more dishonest
    And deliberately so.  Outrageous claims will have far more engagement than the truth in the middle (whether through people sharing 'can you believe this?!' or by people genuinely trying to correct the misrepresentation), and engagement = money.  Never mind the far-reaching effects it has on individual people and society as a whole.
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